Movable toys provided with phonograph



April 1961 MASAO KATO 2,978,836

MOVABLE TOYS PROVIDED WITH PHONOGRAPH Filed Jan. 7, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTOR MAS/40 KATO BY WM ATTORNEYS April 11, 1961 MASAO KATO MOVABLETOYS PROVIDED WITH PHONOGRAPH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 7, 1959INVENTOR 44/45/40 KATO BY Mwfifl ATTORNEY- United States Fate MOVABLETOYS PROVIDED WITH PHONOGRAPH Masao Kato, "S Azumabashi SanchomeSumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan Filed Jan. 7, 1959, Ser. No. 785,518

1 Claim. (Cl. 46-232) The present invention relates to movable toysprovided with a phonograph.

The main object of this invention is to operate a phonograph to producethe best harmonised sound uniquely synchronising with the proper motionof the movable toys of various kinds such as running toys or the walkingtoys as well as all kinds of toys, the main body of which is alwaysstationary but parts of which have verious kinds of motions.

A further important object of this invention is to provide positiveoperation, wide range of application, simple and economical constructionto sound producing toys.

The accompanying drawings show the principle of this invention and thepractical examples thereof. Figure 1 is a side sectional view of arunning toy provided with a phonograph according to this invention.Figure 2 is a plan view thereof. Figure 3 is a side sectional view of awalking toy according to the present invention. Figure 4 is a sidesectional view of a stationary toy according to this invention.

(A) In the modification of Figures 1 and 2, frame 1 has motor 2 mountedthereon and is mounted on the toy vehicle body 22. A shaft 5 has afreely rotatable plate 6 mounted at one end thereof and is mounted forfree rotation on said frame 1. The upper end of the motor shaft 3 ispressed against the friction band 7 made of rubber and the like andformed on the peripheral wall of said rotatable plate 6 by being pulledtoward the central part of the rotatable plate 6 by the tension spring4. A shaft 12 having an attachment member 13 fixed at one end thereof,is mounted for free rotation to the frame 1. A sound box 14 having aform suitable for magnifying sound is pivotally connected to member 13.A sound needle 18 is connected to the sound box 14 and is capable ofbeing brought into contact with said sound plate 8.

A worm gear 25 is connected at the other end of the motor shaft 3 andengages with the worm wheel 24 of the shaft fixed to the car wheel 23for driving the toy over a surface.

Numeral 9 refers to the base plate to which a curved forked end lever 10and a spring 11 are fixed at the center of the sound plate 8.

indicates a spring, one end of which is connected to the attachingmember 13 and the other end is pressed against the sound box 14 wherebythe sound needle 18 is brought into contact with the sound plate 8 atall times. A vibration plate 16 is made of oil paper which is strong andhas good-vibration character, is connected to said sound box. An elasticband 17 having good vibration character is connected to said plate 16and said needle 18. Sound needle 18 vibrates the elastic band 17, andthis vibration is transmitted to the vibration plate 16 where it ismagnified in the sound box 14. A connecting rod 19 supports needle 18from plate 16. Battery 20 is connected to motor 2 by wires 21 forsupplying electrical current thereto.

In the above embodiment, the motor shaft 3 being rotated by the motor 2rotates the rotatable plate 6, the sound plate 8, the worm 25, and thewheel 23 propelling the toy.

When the sound needle 18 travels completely across plate 8 and comes tothe end thereof, it engages with the forked part at the end of the lever10, whereupon the backing lever 10 is rotated against the spring 11following the rotation of the rotatable plate 6 returning the soundneedle 18 back to its original position and is released whereupon lever10 returns to the position as shown in Figure 2 by the action of thespring 11. Thus in this case, the drag force of the spring 11 ispreviously adjusted in such a way that it may be stopped in the state asshown in Figure 2.

(E) Figure 3 shows a second embodiment in which the phonograph shown inFigure l is applied to a Walking toy 26 and therefore the correspondingparts are explained by referring to Figure 1. The worm gear 25 connectedto the other end of the motor :shaft 3 meshes with the worm wheel 29fixed to a crank shaft 30 an end of which is slideably positioned inslot 27a of leg 27 pivotally connected to body 2 by pin 28. Followingthe rotation of this crank shaft 30, the fore leg 27 continues to pivotat the fulcrum point of pin 28 as its supporting point. Through theconnect rod 32 the walking motion is transmitted to the rear legs 31which cooperate with the front legs 27, thus a good Walking operationcan be carried out. That is to say, in the second example, the toy bodyis so constructed that it can generate sound while walking following therotation of the motor 2.

(C) The third embodiment shown in Figure 4 is an ornament toy providedwith the phonograph apparatus as shown in Figure 1, so that theexplanation of the corresponding parts as above described apply thereto.

The motor driven gear 34 is meshed with the gear fixed to the crankshaft 35 and the openingand closing lever 36 is connected to the door37, which is hinged in such a way that it con be freely opened orclosed, and the crank shaft 35. The door 37 can be opened or closed byrotating the crank shaft 35. Namely, the third embodiment is soconstructed that the door 37 can be opened or closed by rotation of themotor 2 generating the sound at the same time.

(D) The phonograph in the example shown in Figure 1 can be applied tomovable toys having a mouth capable of being opened and closed, forexample dolls, animals or birds and the toys can utter sounds simulatingtheir voices while they open or close their mouths.

(E) In the Example A, the backing apparatus of the sound needle 18 beingarranged on the sound plate 8 by the backing lever 10 and the spring 11,said backing apparatus may be arranged at the central part of therotatable plate 6 and a hole may be drilled in the center of the soundplate 8, thus the backing apparatus may be protruded above the surfaceof the sound plate 8. In this case, sound plate 8 is suitably meshedwith the rotatable plate 6 so as not to allow it to rotate idly. In thefifth example, the backing apparatus is not needed on the sound plate 8.

(F) In each example stated above, by reason of the connection of thebattery in order to rotate the sound plate 8 in the same direction atall times in case of reversing of the motor 2, engagement of each gearis adjusted for carrying out this invention. Namely, in case of thepresent sixth example, the motor shaft 3 is not pressed directly againstthe peripheral wall of the rotatable plate 6, and a few gears may bemeshed with other gears on translation by the reversed rotation of themotor shaft 3.

(G) In the example stated above, motion of the movable toys is carriedout intermittently, while the generation of sound is carried outintermittently, and the motion and the generationpof sound of the toyscan becarried out in synchronization for carrying out this invention.

What I claim is:

A toy having moving elements and sound producing means synchronizedtherewith comprising a toy body, an electric motor carried by said body,means for supplying electrical current to said motor, a sound platerotatably supported on said body, a shaft driven by said motor engagingthe periphery of said sound plate for rotating the same, a sound boxpivotally supported on said body, a vibration plate connected to saidsound box, a needle, 21 support connecting said needle to said vibrationplate, an elastic band connected to said needle and said vibrationplate, a base plate mounted on said sound plate, a curved forked endlever pivotally connected to said base plate and positioned for beingengaged by said needlerwhile contacting said sound'plate for-moving-said needle to its starting position on said sound plate, aspring connecting said leverto said base plate tending to retain saidlever in position for being engaged by said 5 needle, elements connectedto said body and means operable by said motor in synchronization withsaid shaft for operating said moving elements.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,138,478 Hirsch May 4, 1915 1,512,283 Fritsche Oct. 21, 1924 1,542,542Echevarria June 16, 1925 2,695,472 Ardolino Nov. 30, 1954

